The experience of the colonial militia fighting the French-Indian war would prove invaluable when it came time to call in the militias for the Revolution. Without this conflict they might have remained disorganized and unaccustomed to battle. Furthermore, it helped embolden many, who might have otherwise erred, that the British could be beaten in battle. The French would come to the colonists’ aid in the Revolutionary War, but it was not due to this conflict – where they fought bloodily opposite one another. Native Americans were co-opted as part of the struggle, but hardly found themselves included in the political or social discourse after peace had been made. The British government, far from repealing harsh taxes and tariffs, imposed significantly more obtrusive ones in order to recoup the money lost in war. Finally, the French did lose the Louisiana territory, but it was ceded to the Spanish, not the British, who remained as much an obstacle to Western expansion as had the French. 

The key argument for Columbus' voyage west across the Atlantic Ocean was to find a shorter route to the Far East, which was importing spices and precious metals across the Eurasian landmass to Western Europe. The Catholic Church was also attempting to missionize into Asia. Most learned people in the late fifteenth century believed the earth was round. Where Columbus disagreed with the consensus was in his belief the Earth was much smaller. Many scholars at the time knew just how big the earth was, but did not believe there was a landmass between Japan and Western Europe. Columbus believed he had reached Indonesia when he landed in the Caribbean, and never thought he had discovered a new Continent.

The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution protects United States citizens from unreasonable search and seizure of property. In practical application it requires law enforcement to provide a warrant and valid cause before any invasion of privacy can take place. The Fourth Amendment was added to the Bill of Rights in response to British abuses of writs of assistance, which, in pre-Revolutionary America, allowed British colonial officials to inspect property whenever they pleased.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits the use of “cruel and unusual punishment” when dealing with criminal practice. The Amendment has its roots in British common law and later the British Bill of Rights. The terms "cruel and unusual" are somewhat vague and open to interpretation. As a result, throughout American history, legal and judicial theorists have offered competing definitions of cruel and unusual; however, it is generally considered to prohibit mental and physical torture, as well as dehumanizing and humiliating treatment. 

During British colonial rule many Americans living on the frontiers were forced to house British soldiers. This practice was particularly common during the French-Indian Wars in the middle of the eighteenth century. The economic and social strain of this situation was one of the motivating factors behind the outbreak of revolution. After colonial rule was overthrown, the new United States government sought to prohibit forced quartering in the Constitution. This was achieved with the passage of the Third Amendment. 

New York was originally called New Amsterdam when it was established by the Dutch in 1614.  Surrounded by English settlements, the small colony was taken by the English in 1664 and rechristened New York.

The first permanent English settlement in the New World was Jamestown.  Plymouth, Massachusetts was founded in 1620.

Hernando de Soto is the first European known to have discovered and crossed the Mississippi River. His expedition ranged across the southeastern and western United States. He was searching primarily for gold, like many Spanish explorers of the time. The motivation for Spanish exploration is often illustrated by historians with the simple phrase “God, glory, and gold.” God—the desire to spread Christianity to Native populations. Glory—the desire to make a name for oneself back in Spain. Gold—the desire for wealth. It is important to remember these three primary motivations as they explain the actions of many European explorers at the time.

The city of St. Augustine was established in 1565, in what is now Florida. For many years prior the French and Spanish had tried and failed to establish a European community in Florida, Georgia and elsewhere. The city began life as a base from which the Spanish could combat both piracy and the French. After a shipment of slaves arrived the community grew at a reasonably fast rate.

Slavery was fairly widespread in the American colonies before the American Revolution.  Great Britain did not allow slavery until the early ninteenth century, and each colony got to decide its own laws about slavery. Slavery had become much more widespread on Southern plantations, and developed more strongly there. In the north, only a few states completely banned slavery. New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut all slowly outlawed slavery shortly after the Revolution. Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were the most notable large states to have never allowed slavery.